Club captain Slater agrees new Tigers deal

Leicester Tigers club captain Ed Slater has agreed new contract terms to stay at Welford Road.

Slater, 27, made his 100th appearance for the Tigers in the win over Bath Rugby last weekend and captained the team on Aviva Premiership duty at Worcester Warriors on Saturday.

Tigers director of rugby Richard Cockerill said: "Ed has made a massive contribution over the last six seasons as a Leicester Tigers player. He is the club captain because he is an outstanding player and an important member of the first-team squad both on and off the field.

"We're very happy that he has agreed new terms beyond the end of this season and we look forward to seeing his continued influence on those around him as well as his development as a player in this environment.

"Ed is among the English qualified players and leaders at the heart of the squad, which is extremely important to the culture of the club."

A member of the England squad on tour last summer and in the build-up to the Rugby World Cup in 2015, Slater made his Tigers debut in September 2010 after a spell in Australian club rugby and has scored eight tries in 101 appearances.

Slater said: "First and foremost I love playing for Leicester Tigers and for as long as the club want me, I want to stay. The club has been very good to me, it has given me a great opportunity to play my rugby here and I am enjoying my rugby here.

"It's a great club, we have a very good group of players, having Aaron Mauger here has added something as well and all those things combined made it a very easy decision to make to stay."

Slater follows fly-half Freddie Burns in agreeing terms to new contracts at the Tigers.